


Stronger

by Radler614



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Baekhyun being extra, Byun Baekhyun-centric, Fluff, M/M, angst if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 15:19:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12867390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Radler614/pseuds/Radler614
Summary: The lights dimmed and a lone figure stood on stage





	Stronger

**Author's Note:**

> I had feels while writing this (cries). Anyway another round of thanks to hunloey for being the great beta that she is and reading my fics even though I send it to her at ungodly hours of the morning <333

Only cheers and screams were heard after the end of their last ment for tonight. The eight boys bowed and the lights dimmed, marking the end of another successful concert.

As the fans were preparing to leave the concert venue, the overhead lights that had turned on after the members walked backstage, was suddenly turned off. The whole arena was engulfed in darkness. At first there was panic that was immediately replaced by a buzzing excitement when the audience saw staff members scurrying around the stage.

Was there going to be another surprise stage no one knew about?

After a few minutes of waiting, the crowd spots a lone figure walking towards the center stage. As the figure reaches the center, a spotlight hits his frame.

And everyone screams.

_________________________________________________________________

 

Byun Baekhyun was a nervous wreck.

Today was a special day. A very special day. And right now he doesn’t really know how to feel, the bigger part of him is excited, giddy even, but another part, the voice at the very back of his head is completely and utterly terrified.

As the light hits his figure and as his face appear on the large screen, he hears the screams. There’s no going back now. 

He walks towards the piano placed at the very center of the stage and everyone watched with bathed breath as he sits down and places his hands on the piano keys. He hesitates for a bit and everyone can see his fingers stop inches before reaching the keys. He takes a deep breath, and before he can chicken out and run away, images of goofy smiles and tender eyes flash in his mind. Suddenly he isn’t so scared anymore.

Baekhyun faces the audience and speaks to them in a cheery voice, “Hey everybody! I know you probably didn’t expect to see me appear again but here I am.”

He laughs and the people laugh with him. “But I wanted to do something special for today and its a surprise for all of you as well.”

Some people coo and Baekhyun laughs again. “As you all know, we celebrated a member’s birthday today and I wanted to give him a special birthday gift. So here I am.”

The arena explodes in thunderous screams. 

The excitement is palpable. Sure the members always did something special when one of them celebrates his birthday, but this was so different. Baekhyun is so extra.

Baekhyun plays the first keys and he lets the familiar melody of Stronger flood his ears. Somewhere he hears voices screaming but he is too caught up in the song to really listen. 

And then he starts singing.

Byun Baekhyun’s singing silences the audience and they watch as the small boy’s fingers dance in the piano keys while his voice serenades them. Baekhyun knows he is risking too much tonight by baring himself to thousands of people, but after years of holding back, he feels a sense of satisfaction for the fact that he can finally do the one thing he wanted to do a long time ago.

Sing for the person he loves the most and let the whole world know its for that person. No more hiding. No more pretending. Tonight Baekhyun would do what he wanted and needed to do. Consequences be damned.

As he lets his mind linger in the melody, his memory fills with all the moments he had to keep hidden from the world. Afraid that no one will understand.

Five years ago he met the person he would fall for. Five years ago they debuted in a twelve-member group together. Five years ago he fell in love.

He fell in love with a boy who could light up a room with his laughter. He fell in love with a boy who would always make him smile. He fell for the boy who would grow up to be the most sought after person in Korea.

No one knows what really happens to the idols when cameras stop rolling. No one knows what happens in the privacy of their dorms. So no one knows that for five years, Baekhyun had been in love with the same man. He laughs to himself, maybe some fans did know, they were more perceptive than he thought.

As he keeps playing, his mind keeps drifting away. To the first day he laid his eyes on that one person that made his heart skip a little faster. 

The people in the audience watch in wonder as different emotions play in Baekhyun’s face. Clearly the man was too lost in his own memories. They wonder what this night will bring and at the very back of their heads there is nagging feeling that they know just what is happening tonight.

For the second time that day, EXO-L’s watch as another figure walks up the stage and approach the piano. This time they know who the person is as a spotlight follows his every step. They keep quiet, curious about what was going to happen next. They watch, transfixed, as the other man approaches, Baekhyun with purposeful steps.

Baekhyun realizes that the place is deadly silent. He thinks that this is it, he’s done it. He’s rendered their fans speechless. That was before the notices the figure standing next to him. He stops playing and looks up at the other.

Sometimes Baekhyun worries that they are being too obvious. That all those touches and all those stares are seen by millions of people. But right now, at this moment, Baekhyun could care less. They could be as obvious as they want to be.

“Baek.” He hears the other man whisper and Baekhyun simply smiles up at him. Words were never needed between the two of them, being quite adept at reading the other. 

Baekhyun is a little surprised when the man sits next to him on the piano bench and looks him in the eye. “You’re not doing this alone.”

“But-”

“We’re gonna do this together okay.” Baekhyun mutely nods his head and gasps in surprise when he feels his small hands engulfed in much larger ones. Distinctly, he hears the crowd gasp with him, but he isn’t sure.

He’s more startled when the other man begins to coax him into continuing the song with him. And they do, with his left hand tightly clasped in the others right.

The other six members watch them from the corner of the stage, safely hidden by a blanket of darkness. They all smile at the two fondly. After all, it was them who witnessed everything, from fumbling confessions to embarrassing displays of affection. At first it was subtle until one day their fanservice became something more. Skinship being used as an excuse to touch the other in public. This song, this song was a confession.

Baekhyun let himself drown in the other’s presence. Lets himself bask in the fact that he’s not alone in all these. Five years ago, he fell in love, and here he was telling the world how much he loved this man through a song.

As they reach the end of their song, Baekhyun admonishes himself, “nice work Baekhyun, such a creative way to tell the world you’re gay.” But he takes one look at the man beside him and he decides, he decides that he will always be worth it.

The last note of the song is played and Baekhyun is suddenly afraid. He doesn’t hear anything, no screams or shouts, just silence. He doesn’t dare look at their audience, afraid of what he will see. But when he silence becomes too much, he braves a glance and is pleasantly surprised to be greeted by teary eyes and smiles.

He feels large hands circle his waist and he turns around to look at the other man. 

“Happy birthday Park Chanyeol!”

Five years ago Baekhyun fell in love with a goofy smile and uncoordinated limbs. Five years ago he fell for large ears and large eyes. Five years ago he fell for Park Chanyeol.

And Park Chanyeol? Well, Park Chanyeol could say the same. Five years ago he fell for crescent eyes and a rectangle smile. He fell for the beautiful boy introducing himself to the rest of them. He fell for dulcet tones and angelic notes. He fell for Byun Baekhyun. And everyday he fell more. As he watched the lights dance in Baekhyun's features, making him glow even more, Chanyeol couldn't help but think that right now, everything was perfect. 

Chanyeol fell for a boy who loved him back and he doesn't know what he did to deserve this beautiful man next to him, but he's thanking all his lucky stars that he got to have Byun Baekhyun in his life.

As the lights dim again, everyone in that arena would swear that they saw Byun Baekhyun smile the softest smile at Park Chanyeol and give him the lightest peck on his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Very late birthday fic for soft-hearted Chanyeol-ah. I hope you had a great day and that a certain Byun Baekhyun showered you with lots of love on your special day <3333333


End file.
